King Rudolf I institutes a new persecution of the Jews in 1286, declaring them servi camerae ("serfs of the treasury"), which has the effect of negating their political freedoms.

In 1286 also, Rudolf fully invests the Duchy of Carinthia (with the March of Carniola), one of the provinces conquered from Ottokar, to Albert's father-in-law Count Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol.

The Princes of the Empire have not allowed Rudolf to give to his own son everything that had been recovered to the royal domain: his allies need their rewards too.

Nicolaus of Luxemburg was born in Prague, the illegitimate son of King John of Bohemia (John the Blind).

On August 2, 1342, Pope Clement VI had proclaimed him provost of the Diocese of Prague, following John's wish.

In the same year, Nicolaus was named canon of Vyšehrad.

In a document from 1348, Nicolaus calls himself dean of the church of Olmütz and royal chancellor.

Clement VI appoints Nicolaus bishop of Naumburg on January 7, 1349, as one of the opponents to Johann of Miltitz.

Nicolaus cannot stand his ground; possibly he was only nominated but never took the office.

On October 31, 1350, Nicolaus becomes the new patriarch of Aquileia.

In May 1351, Nicolaus arrives at Udine.

During his term of office, he plans to found a commercial center called "Carola" together with his half-brother, the future emperor Charles IV.

This project is not to be realized.

The very year of his establishment, he has to face an attack by Henry III, Count of Gorizia, who destroys Cassacco, and by Albert II of Austria, who occupies Carnia, Venzone, Udine, Gemona and besieges Cividale.

However, the patriarchate is able to escape by giving Venzone and some other castles to the Austrians.

At the end of 1351 and beginning of 1352, some noblemen are executed by order of the new patriarch.

The men are said to have participated in the murder of the patriarch’s predecessor, Bertram of St. Genesius, two years before.

In 1353, Charles IV consents to the erection of a studium generale at Cividale.

In October 1354, he visits the Patriarchate of Aquileia on his way to Rome.

During his stay, Nicolaus presents him a much sought-after relic, two pages of St. Marc’s gospel.

Nicolaus accompanies his half-brother on his way through Italy.

Like his predecessor, Nicolaus takes part in an alliance against the Republic of Venice with the counts of Gorizia, Francesco I da Carrara, lord of Padua, his half brother Charles IV, Louis I of Hungary and the dukes of Austria.

The league's troops occupy Grado and Muggia (1356), while Louis strips Venice of most of Dalmatia.

The siege of Treviso (July–September 1356) is a failure, but Venice suffers a severe defeat at Nervesa (January 13, 1358), being forced to cede Dalmatia and Croatia to Hungary.

Nicolaus dies at Belluno in 1358.

The cause is unknown—it is assumed, by sickness.

He is buried in Udine underneath the main altar of the church.

Stephen, a son of Emperor Louis IV, had served as vogt of Swabia and Alsace during his father's reign.

The Emperor had acquired Brandenburg, Tyrol, Holland and Hainaut for his House but he had also released the Upper Palatinate for the Palatinate branch of the Wittelsbach in 1329.

Stephen, together with his five brothers, had succeeded his father in 1347 as Duke of Bavaria and Count of Holland and Hainaut. 

Louis IV had reunited Bavaria in 1340 but in 1349 the country had been divided for the emperor's sons again into Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria-Landshut and Bavaria-Straubing.

Stephen II had ruled from 1349 to 1353 together with his brothers William I and Albert I in Holland and Lower Bavaria-Landshut, since 1353 only in Lower Bavaria-Landshut.

After the temporary reconciliation of the Wittelsbachs with Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, who had finally confirmed all Wittelsbach possessions, Stephen had joined Charles' expedition to Italy in 1354, but soon the Golden Bull of 1356 caused a new conflict since only the Palatinate branch of the Wittelsbach and his brother Louis VI the Roman as margrave of Brandenburg were invested with the electoral dignity.

Stephen II is the last son of Emperor Louis IV, who was in 1362 absolved from excommunication.

When Duke Meinhard, the son of his older brother Louis V the Brandenburger dies in 1363, Stephen II succeeds also in Upper Bavaria and invades Tyrol.

To strengthen his position against Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria he confederated with Bernabò Visconti.

Rudolf had entered into a contract of inheritance with widowed Countess Margaret of Gorizia-Tyrol upon the death of her only son Meinhard III, which will actually bring the County of Tyrol under Austrian rule only after her death in 1369, when Stephen finally renounces Tyrol to the Habsburgs with the Peace of Schärding for a huge financial compensation.

Mediterranean Southwest Europe (1360–1371 CE): Dynastic Struggles, Mercenary Warfare, and Literary Advances

The era 1360–1371 CE in Mediterranean Southwest Europe is characterized by intricate dynastic struggles in Granada, the prominent role of mercenary forces in Italy, and significant literary and intellectual developments.

Dynastic Struggles in Granada

Muhammed V of Granada, having initially inherited the throne from Yusuf I, faces turbulent political challenges. Overthrown by his half-brother Ismail II in 1359, Muhammed seeks refuge with the Marinid Sultan of Fez, where he is exposed to influential architectural innovations. Ismail II is quickly overthrown and killed by his brother-in-law Abu Said (Muhammed VI) in 1360. Muhammed V capitalizes on political opportunities, ultimately regaining the throne in 1362 after Muhammed VI is lured to Seville by King Peter I of Castile (Pedro el Cruel) and assassinated. Muhammed V secures diplomatic ties through the marriage of his eldest son, Yusuf II, to the Marinid Sultan’s daughter and completes the construction of an important hospital in Granada in 1366. He employs the renowned scholar and diplomat Ibn Khaldun in negotiations with Pedro the Cruel.

Sir John Hawkwood and Mercenary Warfare in Italy

The cessation of Anglo-French hostilities in 1360 provides an opportunity for Sir John Hawkwood, an English soldier of fortune, to lead his mercenary force, the White Company, into Italy. Hawkwood’s background, obscured by legends, suggests humble beginnings in Essex, with experience gained through service in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. By the 1360s, Hawkwood commands the White Company, engaging in various military actions across Italy. His forces fight under multiple banners, including those of Milan, Florence, Pisa, Perugia, and the papacy. Notable engagements include battles against the Green Count in Lanzo Torinese, conflicts with Milan, warfare between Pisa and Florence in 1364, and supporting Perugia against Papal forces in 1369. In 1370, Hawkwood aligns with Bernabò Visconti in a conflict involving Pisa, Florence, and other city-states.

Literary and Intellectual Advances: Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio completes a decade-long project, his encyclopedic work On the Genealogy of the Gentile Gods, an influential mythological reference and vigorous defense of poetry. Boccaccio's shift in literary style during this period results from declining health, personal disappointments, and an evolving worldview, partly influenced by interactions with Petrarch. After a crisis of faith in 1362, during which he nearly destroys his literary works, Boccaccio is dissuaded by Petrarch. He retires to Certaldo in 1363, turning from imaginative literature to critical studies, biographies, and geographical works, notably producing the satirical and misogynistic work Il Corbaccio in 1365.

Castilian Civil War

The Castilian civil war from 1366 to 1369 emerges as part of the broader conflict between England and France, the Hundred Years' War. Primarily fought between King Peter I (Pedro el Cruel) and his illegitimate brother Henry of Trastámara, this conflict significantly influences regional politics and involves extensive fighting throughout the Kingdom of Castile and its coastal waters.

Legacy of the Era

The era 1360–1371 CE profoundly impacts Mediterranean Southwest Europe through political upheavals in Granada, the strategic deployment of mercenary forces in Italian warfare, and critical advancements in literature and intellectual thought. Collectively, these developments shape regional dynamics, influencing subsequent cultural, political, and military trajectories